Tuesday, February 08, 2011

It's only 178 days until the start of the Laser Masters World Championships in San Francisco this August. Woo Hoo!

A month ago there was a notice on the event website saying THE OPENING OF THE APPLICATION FOR ENTRY IS DELAYED UNTIL WE RECEIVE OUTSTANDING FINAL DETAILS FROM THE USA.

For the last two weeks this was by replaced by a kinder gentler notice saying The Notice of Race and Application Form for this event will be open shortly.

Hmmm. What was all that about? Was there some reason for the delay that "they" didn't want to tell us about? I guess we will never know, because today "they" opened up the site for business. Applications are open. Woo Hoo!

So I need to make a decision. Should I go?

What's that you say? Why would you not go?

Well... it's complicated. There are Pros and Cons.

PROS

1. It's freaking San Francisco! Home of America's Cup 34! (Probably, unless Larry changes his mind.) Even more important, home of the Heavy Weather Laser Slalom! Iconic waterfront! Magnificent natural aquatic amphitheater! What sailor wouldn't leap at the chance to sail in a regatta there?

2. It's freaking San Francisco! One of the great cities of the world. I love San Francisco. So much to do there and in the surrounding area. Who wouldn't leap at the chance to take a vacation in San Francisco?

3. It's freaking San Francisco! Home of so many of my blogging friends. Edward and Joe and Craig and Zen and the Eco Dork. I've been wanting to meet them for years. What could be better than to spend some time hanging out with them, maybe even go sailing with them?

CONS

1. The Laser Masters Worlds last year was a disaster for me. I wasn't fit enough. I hadn't practiced enough. (And I got sick.) I wasn't up to sailing in those conditions against that level of competition. Who's to say that San Francisco wouldn't be just as bad an experience for me as Hayling Island was? Maybe it's time to admit that I'm not good enough for the Master Worlds any more (indeed, if I ever was.)

2. The regatta is in August. One of the best times of the year in Rhode Island. The weather is perfect for sailing here at that time of year. Tillerwoman's garden is at its peak. There is sailing and outdoor lunches at local restaurants and swimming and walks on the beach and dinners on the grill and sunset watching and playing in the water with grandkids... They even arranged the Worlds at the same time as the Buzzards Bay Regatta, one of my favorites! What were they thinking? Why would I want to leave Rhode Island in August to travel 3000 miles to sail somewhere that is likely to be cooler? Don't get me wrong, Tillerwoman and I do like to travel. But we tend to arrange our travel for the winter months when getting away from chilly New England to go somewhere warm is more appreciated, and when we feel like we're getting a bigger bang for our bucks.

T-man, if you go, you might see more than just the SF friends. Pat's considering helping on the race committee as a way of building his resume as a certified race officer. If we can take care of enough of the financial mess that his dad left behind that I can take the summer term off, I might be there too.

OK, I guess the script says that I should jump in here and cue the theme music for our majestic natural amphitheater.

But my cockroach friend has got me thinking about how everything looks from the other guy's point of view. I honestly don't know what I'd choose sitting on the east coast and knowing that the same five hours in an aluminum tube could land me in SF or in some warm, tropical anchorage with white, sandy rum drinks.

Tillerman, I not having much success at working up sympathy for your dilemma in choosing between SF and RI in August. Either beats the upper Chesapeake that time of year. My boat is just a slow motorboat in July and August, unless we cruise north.

One thing to remember is that August comes every 12 months, it would seem a Laser World Championship comes to San Francisco but once a lifetime.

In addition, its worth remembering that North America's total quota is 165 sailors and, as of this morning, there are already 109 on the list. If you continue to ponder then the decision may be made for you!

SFBayLaser, I think it's wonderful that so many North American Laser Masters sailors want to sail in San Francisco. Looking through the list of names who have already applied for a place it seems to me that many of them are folk who would not normally travel to Masters Worlds on other continents. That's great.

I am pretty well certain now that I'm going to sit this one out. Hope it will open up a place for somebody new to experience the fun of a Masters Worlds. If I have a good season on the local circuit and restore my confidence in my ability to handle long races in heavy air then I will definitely jump back in to the Worlds scene again. Especially to ones that are held somewhere warm during he New England winter!

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